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TYPHOID FEVER. One case was notified and confirmed during the year. An elderly
lady aged 65 years, living alone, had been admitted to an isolation hospital and following
full investigation was considered to be a case of typhoid fever. Specimens of urine and
faeces, and blood examinations confirmed the causative organism to be one of the strains
of B. typhosus. Following prolonged courses of treatment with several of the most
modern drugs available for this disease, the patient made a good clinical recovery and was
discharged free from bacteriological infection. Despite intensive enquiries, no evidence
of the source of the infection could be isolated and all specimens taken from immediate
contacts were negative.
PARATYPHOID FEVER. No cases were notified or deaths registered from this disease
during the year. In September, information was received from Exeter that a student
teacher who had gone home to West Ham to complete her vacation after a tour of France with
some of her fellow students, was a contact of a confirmed case of paratyphoid who had been
a member of the party. Clearance specimens taken proving negative, she was able to return
to her college for the commencement of the Autumn term,
SMALLPOX. No case of smallpox occurred during the year.
In April, notification was received from London Airport about a resident of the
Borough returning from a business visit to the Hague where 37 cases of smallpox had been
reported. The contact, an adult male, was seen, vaccinated and kept under regular
surveillance for the requisite period.
INFLUENZA. No epidemic, even of a minor nature, occurred during the year. There
were, however, fifteen deaths registered from this disease.
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